STANDARD POODLE BREEDER--AKC REGISTERED STANDARD POODLES-CHAMPION BLOODLINES STANDARD POODLES--BLACK/WHITE STANDARD POODLE PUPPIES--LOCATED IN YOUNG HARRIS, GA.

So you have arrived home with your little (or not so little) bundle of puppy.  You've made a long drive and hopefully the little tyke hasn't thrown up on you more than twice.  The first thing you should do is take the puppy immediately to the "potty place".   The "potty place" is the spot that you have decided you want your little one to do his business.  You've thought this out in advance and it's a place close enough to the door he's going out so that you can see him but far enough away that you don't have the results in your face 24/7.  Even though you will be proud of his success it could get old in a hurry!  Always tell him "go potty" or whatever your favorite term is, but be consistent and everyone in the family should use the same term.  Don't play with him when you are wanting him to go.  He shouldn't have any distractions at this time. If he gets distracted, repeat the command after a few minutes.  When he goes, praise him excitedly and give him lots of attention.  Soon he will get the idea.  Don't put paper down in the house.  This will just delay his transition to the outside.  By the time you take him home he has had experience going outside to potty but newspaper on the floor will remind him of  when he was younger and didn't go outside but did it on the paper.  Don't leave food and water available all of the time until he has been house trained for a month or two.  He will most likely be needing three meals a day when he goes home with you so put the food and water down for about 20-30 minutes in the morning, noon and night.  Then take him out to potty about 15-30 minutes after eating and drinking.  You may give him water at other times throughout the day but always take him out to potty right after he drinks.  He may not go every time but you are establishing a habit for him and he will soon learn where he needs to do his business.

If he has an accident in the house, don't make a fuss about it just scoop him up immediately and take him to the potty place and give him the command.  He may not do anything because he has already done it but he will get the idea.  The clean up should be done without him around ( he shouldn't observe your apparent interest in his evacuations).  It's best to always use Odo-ban or some product that kills the smell, not just the stain.  Odo-ban can be used on carpets, furniture, vinyl etc. and kills something like 99% of the bacteria and removes the stain.  Most importantly, when used properly, the animal will not be able to smell where it went.  When an animal smells where it pottied before it naturally goes there to do it in the future.  That's one reason that when the house training is completely finished and successful you should get your carpets cleaned professionally.  That way there won't be any unpleasant reminders for you or your dog.

I would advise that with an 8-12 week old puppy, you take it out to the potty area about every hour if possible.  You will get your cue from the puppy when he has the idea and will wait until he goes outside to eliminate.  You should put your puppy in a crate overnight and during the day when you are not able to watch him.  Your puppy will not go potty in his crate unless he is sick or has been left there too long.  Always be sure your puppy goes potty outside right before you crate him and he should be able to hold it for several hours.  When he is 8 weeks old it may be only four or five hours but soon he should be able to wait for the whole night and by 12-14 weeks he should be okay in the crate for up to eight hours while you are at work. Your poodle puppy is without doubt one of the smartest dogs in the world and you should have a pretty easy time  house training him if you follow these instructions.